In linguistics, what is a sociolect?

A sociolect refers to a specific variety of language that is associated with a particular social group or class within a larger speech community. It encompasses the unique features, including vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, that may distinguish members of one social group from those of another. This distinction can arise from factors like socio-economic status, education, age, or occupation, all of which influence the way language is used within that group.

The other options provided do not accurately capture the essence of a sociolect. A focus on regional dialects pertains more to geographical variations in language, rather than social classifications. A formal style of academic writing is a standardized mode of communication often used in scholarly contexts, lacking the social specificity that defines a sociolect. Lastly, a set of rules for sentence constructions deals with syntax and grammatical structure rather than the socio-cultural aspects of language use that sociolects embody. Thus, the identification of a sociolect as a variety of language pertinent to a specific social class is the most accurate definition.